Between the Shield and the Scepter
by hollowcrowns
Summary: "You will be mine." But she already was. From the minute she had walked inside that crumbling palace, Charlotte Doyle knew she'd do whatever he asked of her. He had her from the start, so there was no doubt left within her when chocolate-brown met cold, clear green again. "Yes, my King."
1. Prologue

**Prologue: Deals With the Devil**

When she walked into his lair – no, his kingdom – Charlotte Doyle knew what she wanted. Her deteriorating body knew what it wanted, and the only person who could give it to her was in there somewhere, sitting on a throne of his own making, an uncrowned king waiting for revenge. Her coughs echoed through the underground tunnel, creating terrible noises, so loud it felt that the rest of the world would know her whereabouts before Charlotte herself did. Then, the girl reached it, the last door that would lead her to him.

The men who had accompanied her so far stopped as the door opened almost as if by magic, and there he was. Sitting almost regally ten feet away from her, a vision in green and gold. Her eyes widened with both fear and adoration as chocolate-brown met clear and cold green. He smiled then, a vision so terribly beautiful she had to look away for a second before her eyes were drawn to him again. "Come, dear." His voice was calm; yet powerful enough it was as if her feet had gained a mind of their own.

Charlotte crossed the distance between her and the man too quickly for her sick lungs, which burned with distaste as soon as she stopped before him. She coughed again, feeling weak and undeserving of his presence, and tore her eyes away from Loki's to look at the ground. She heard rather than saw it when he stood up and took a few tentative steps towards her. Charlotte could feel his presence getting closer and closer until he reached out for her and lifted her chin so she'd look into his eyes once more.

"Tell me what you want, child."

The things she had been so sure of just minutes before seemed to melt the minute he asked her for it. She wanted the world then, but no words came out of her mouth. He seemed to notice – how couldn't he? – and slid the hand that was on her chin until it reached her cheek. "What do you want from me, Charlotte?" He barely whispered it, but it was loud enough for her to hear it. His face had gotten closer now, and for a moment she thought they'd kiss.

Instead she found herself speaking.

"I want power." The words left her like a rushed confession, and she thought he'd laugh. The god, on the other hand, stared with a newfound interest, a spark of curiosity ignited by her. "I want to be strong. I-I don't want to feel weak ever again." She put her hand over his, a bold gesture for a human. A surge of electricity rushed through her, and her eyes sparked with desire for what he could give. "Please."

Another of those terrible grins stretched across his lips. "Do you think you can take what I have to give you, girl?" His words were meant as an insult, calling her weak, but she nodded anyway. "Such a small, petty creature." The link between them was broken when his hand tore away from her face, and the man started to walk circling her. "Thinking you are deserving of this..." He looked at the scepter and she followed his gaze, amazed. "Of my gifts."

The man stopped behind her this time. "What will you do when your heart is crushed by me, child? When the power becomes so terribly strong it takes everything away leaving nothing behind?" His tone shifted so it was threatening, showing more of the villain she had heard so much about and less of the king from earlier on. Charlotte swallowed, terrified, but stood her ground. "I will die anyway. Whether it is your scepter or my cancer that kills me." Filled with sudden boldness, the girl turned to face him. "Your way would be faster."

He was taken aback, but a god would never admit to that. The last person who surprised him was a monster lowlier even than the girl before him, and Loki's pride was too grand to let it happen again. So, his surprise was replaced with faint amusement, as if she were a new toy he wanted to play with. "So be it, Charlotte Doyle." Her name in his mouth sounded like both a sin and a blessing, her desire cursing her forever. "I will give you the world." The god held on to his scepter with a newfound strength, delighted by the words that hadn't come out of his mouth yet. "But you will give me something back."

There it was. The price, the thing she had been most concerned about. What could a girl like her give a man like him? It showed in her eyes, the fear of what was to come.

"You will be mine." But she already was. From the minute she had walked inside that crumbling palace, Charlotte Doyle knew she'd do whatever he asked of her. He had her from the start, so there was no doubt left within her when chocolate-brown met cold, clear green again. "Yes, my King."

She felt the gold's cold touch through her blouse when the scepter touched her chest, just above her hectically beating heart. Charlotte took a deep breath, ready to leave behind the days of uselessness and feebleness, in order to become a better version of herself. The girl could feel it, pressure building up within her, changing her, breaking and rebuilding. But then the pressure became too much, and she fell to her knees.

Her screams pierced through the silent lair as pain washed through her like waves crashing on sand. The rest of the world slowly disappeared, as she got lost in it, the scepter's powers destroying her from the inside out. Somewhere through it she started feeling weaker than ever, and then the whole world went black.

Far away from them, in an impossible base above the ground, a hero's wounds were also healing, though in entirely different ways.


	2. Chapter 1

**N/A: **Hey guys! I hope you're having fun reading BTSATS and that those of you who know all about comic books do not hate me for it. It was kind of a hard chapter to write, especially considering Captain is such an iconic character, but I can only hope you guys like my portrayal of him.

Also, I'd like to thank **Lígia**, my beta, for fixing up my dumb mistakes, and helping me make this fanfiction better.

**Chapter One: Life of a Hero**

Steve Rogers is a man lost in time, there is no doubt. A casualty of fate, he finds himself half enthralled and half terrified every time some novelty is thrust upon him. Which is why, in that particular moment, he was gaping at the latest piece of Stark technology. Tony, the man who had given him said device, was currently going on and on about its amazing features, most of them also unknown to him. Steve, however, had tuned out when the man before him started talking about wifi and the wonders of the new chip.

Sometimes Cap wondered if Tony deliberately tried to make him feel like an idiot, or if it was one of the collateral damages that came with being a genius.

Either way it didn't matter, because as the billionaire started to explain yet another thing the sleek, black piece of titanium in his hand did, Steve stopped him. "So, you're telling me this is a portable phone?" Because that was pretty much what it was – all features aside. His question didn't please Tony, who gave him that look that said he was not amused at all. "No, Capsicle, this is not _a_ portable phone. This is _the_ portable phone. Stark Phone 5 – the name is still a bit iffy, I know – put together the most modern technology out there, and the durability of military-level devices."

The Captain rolled his eyes. He knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted him to get in touch with all of that, a way of catching up after all the years he had lost, but there were times he was just too tired to care. "Ok, so it's a phone. You still haven't told me how I make calls – that's why you gave me this thing, right?" First Tony was appalled, then offended, and finally frustrated. He pressed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his pointed, and took a deep breath.

"You just put your mouth near the speaker and say 'call Fury' or whoever you want. I programmed The Avengers' numbers already, and made you a pretty nifty contact list." Steve nodded, thankful he wouldn't have to figure out those by himself. "But if you want to call me you'll have to say 'call Mr. Awesome', 'cause that's my name there." _Of course._ Stark's bright, proud smile was like a slap in the face, because he knew that Steve wouldn't be able to change that unless he asked someone to do it for him.

And God knew Natasha and Clint would be too busy laughing to even consider it.

His reaction was a sigh, almost as if he was too old for that kind of thing (well, maybe he was too old, that was the problem). "Thanks for that." He added for good measure, and got up from the chair in front of Stark's table, against which the latter was leaning. Tony's smile widened, making Steve shake his head disapprovingly, but bringing a grin to his own lips at the same time. "I gotta go, Stark. Thanks for the phone." With a pat on the man's back – the kind he used to give Bucky before they said goodbye – Steve was out of there.

* * *

A bunch of things had changed in the world since Steve had been frozen. Stores he used to go to as a child closed, and new, bigger and shinier ones replaced it, the old house he lived in was now a big condominium. There was one thing he could still count on, though, one he was so happy to find was still there, Steve allowed himself to pretend he was back in the forties for a moment when he first walked inside.

It was a diner. One only the cool people were allowed in back then, and one that scrawny and weak Steve would have no chance of ever getting to know if it wasn't for Bucky. His best friend had dragged him inside by the collar, against his pleas that they'd eat somewhere else because he didn't want to get his money stolen again. Much to his awe, however, people didn't mess with them. The waitress was perfectly agreeable, smiling and bringing him a big slice of sweet cherry pie, despite the other customers' disapproving looks.

The Captain first went there expecting it to have become a McDonald's or some other big franchise restaurant, but it was still there. Like a pillar of the Brooklyn he had lived in as a child, it stood proudly despite the modern world around him. And that's where he was heading after leaving that big, ugly building he now proudly called Headquarters. Steve just needed a taste of the old times again, and Johnny's provided it in the form of greasy burgers and sweet cherry pie.

He crossed the street ad walked into the old diner with a smile on his face. On the walls they had hung vintage posters (which for him just seemed like regular posters), but other than that it looked exactly like it did when he first started going there. Steve took a seat by the counter and smiled at the girl behind it. He barely registered when the girl batted her eyelashes and smiled back, because the hero was already too busy taking a look at the menu. "Can you bring me a cheeseburger and fries, please?" He looked back up just in time to see her smile again and nod vigorously before taking his menu away.

Steve still wasn't used to that kind of thing. Girls used to shun him, not flirt with him. Which is why the man just grinned back awkwardly before taking a look around while waiting for his food. Out the window he could see people rushing through the streets, all of them eager to get somewhere. Steve sighed, missing the old days again. For some reason he had woken up feeling rather nostalgic, though he wasn't sure why that was. Almost on cue, Stark's new phone rung in his pocket, astounding him. It took him another two rings to figure out how to answer the call.

"Captain Rogers, we need you." Fury's tone was as serious as ever and Steve immediately straightened up. Despite everything, duty came first to him, so he left money to pay for his meal on the counter – as well as a very generous tip – and got out of the diner as fast as he could.

* * *

The enemies were too many to count, and they all looked like things that had come from another planet – again. Steve's job was containing them with Barton and Natasha, while Iron Man tried to destroy their base. It should be an easy task, the Avengers together again (well, some of them, at least), but the monsters were in a number much larger than what they anticipated. Fury had said they'd fight ten to twenty of those things.

_More like fifty._ The Captain caught himself thinking, as more of their green, acidic slime came flying towards him. At the last minute, the hero ducked, and the thing hit the ground behind him, leaving a blackened spot where it touched. Out of the corner of his eye, Steve could see Natasha killing two more, moving quickly and steadily. Barton's arrows were also consistent, shooting targets so accurately it was almost scary. He took a deep breath and held on to his shield, ready for another round.

"Stark how are you doing in there." Steve said on the intercom attached to his uniform just as he flung the shield at yet another enemy. Then, Tony's voice came through the piece attached to his ear as clearly as if they were talking face-to-face. "Well, Capsicle, there is a bunch of slime I have to get through before I can blow up the main base." _Crap_, he'd have to stall, then. Especially considering that no matter how many he killed, more came around to try and tackle him.

Captain America kicked and dodged, throwing his shield at them whenever too many got together. He didn't feel strained, at least not physically, but he wished Stark would hurry up and finish that off soon. Those things – whatever they called themselves – were dangerous, and if by any chance they didn't manage to contain them… Well, Steve didn't really want to think about it.

Just as though his prayers had been answered, Tony's voice appeared through the intercom again. "Ok, Cap, blowing up the base now. I hope this works." Steve would have let out a content sigh, were it not for the fact that yet another creature was throwing itself onto him. The Captain dodged and hit the thing with his shield, sending it flying back a few meters, unmoving. Before he could think of relaxing, there was another one getting dangerously close to Natasha's back, and he threw the shield again.

Then Steve heard the explosion.

He knew that Tony Stark rarely did things half-assed, but that was some explosion. And suddenly it was as if the monsters were withering, all of them in too much pain to carry on fighting. The man walked amongst them until he was close enough to the Black Widow and the two watched as the things they had been restlessly fighting died practically at the same time. They were fine, they could breathe.

Or so he thought.

Natasha had her back to one of the monsters, and Steve saw it as, in one last desperate attempt to drag them down with him, the thing pushed the trigger of its gun. A green ray shot out of it, and flew towards the woman just as Clint and Steve both shouted, and Steve put himself between her and the ray. It burned through his uniform as if it weren't made of Kevlar and could resist a number of things. Then, he felt it reach his skin, and a sharp pain took over his back.

Steve knew that it took a lot to hurt his new, improved body. He could heal easily, and usually weapons weren't much of a match for him, at least not the human ones. But then again, those weren't human weapons, and that wasn't a regular fight. The shock had him dizzy for a minute or two and he needed help to stand. It was something that alien gun had shot, he was sure, because suddenly the super soldier felt like he just couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. And so, everything went black.

* * *

Nick Fury's voice boomed through his ears, and a part of him thought he should be getting a headache, but Steve couldn't feel it. "What the hell happened? Why didn't he use the shield?" The Captain opened his eyes slowly, almost expecting to be stunned by the bright lights of the hospital, but again, he felt nothing. One of the advantages of being a supersoldier: he never got headaches.

"I'm sorry, sir. It was a judgment call, I didn't even think of the shield." Fury, as if he just now realized the hero was in the room, looked at him and hesitated for a second before speaking again. "A poor judgment call, Captain Rogers. We need you fully functional. This one took you 24 hours to heal." 24 hours, wow. It was funny that he thought that was a lot. Anyone else would have died in a matter of minutes, but Steve felt just fine.

"That thing was poisonous. Thankfully your body managed to expel it." Natasha's voice sounded behind Fury, and the man caught sight of her for the first time as she moved around her boss to face him. He smiled, almost unwillingly, because he liked Natasha and she seemed great. "But thanks, Cap. I owe you one. How are you feeling?" And his grin grew wider. "I'm fine, Nat." Some time after they had beaten Loki together, Steve got the privilege of calling her that. "Nothing to worry about, really."

Had he known what was to come, maybe Captain Rogers wouldn't have said that. Nor would he have been so eager to get out of the hospital wing at S.H.I.E.L.D, just so he could visit another one of those places which always made him feel a bit better.

Perhaps he would have wished he had stayed in bed instead.


End file.
